What happens when you have your wisdom teeth removed

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Wisdom teeth are the last of our teeth to come through, usually in our late teens or early twenties. There’s a space at the back of our jaw for them when they finally decide to show up, but sometimes they get stuck. This is called Impacted Wisdom Teeth, and it can be extraordinarily painful. In many cases surgery is needed to have your wisdom teeth removed, and that’s when you should call Lance West.

What happens next?

If you come to us to have your wisdom teeth removed, then the first thing we’ll do is have a look at the situation. A quick check of your mouth and jaw, followed by a few x-rays and then we’ll know what we’re up against and the best way to help you. If we discover an infection then we might wait until you heal first before going ahead with the surgery.

Having your wisdom teeth removed happens under anaesthesia, and the type will be discussed with you beforehand. There are different types of Anaesthesia, and together we will choose the best one for your situation. Local anaesthesia is for more simple surgeries, and will only affect the area we are operating on. General anaesthesia is more typically used for complex surgery, and will put you to sleep. This type of operation is almost always carried out in a hospital. There is also a “middle-ground” anaesthesia which doesn’t knock you out, but puts you in a type of “twilight sleep”.

After surgery

Following surgery our nursing staff will brief you about the post-operative phase of your management. You will be provided with appropriate pain-killers, antibiotics (if necessary) and anti-septic mouthwashes (if needed). You will also be provided with a written sheet of instructions which our nursing staff will discuss and explain to you and your care-giver.

Dr Lance West is a specialist when it comes to having your wisdom teeth removed. Give him a call today if you’ve any questions about the procedure.